Exhaust gas may be recirculated in an internal combustion engine to improve the emissions of the engine. Cooling recirculated exhaust gas improves the emissions of the engine as well as the fuel economy of the engine. The high temperatures achieved by exhaust gas may cause an EGR cooling system to fail. Any such failures may be exacerbated at the hot end of the EGR cooling system in light of the extreme temperatures and temperature gradients experienced thereby.